Allegri: Title won´t be won in derby

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri insists Saturday’s derby against Inter Milan may not prove decisive in the Serie A title race.

Milan top the table by two points from defending champions Inter heading into the showdown at the San Siro.

The match has been billed by some as a potential playoff for the Scudetto. But Allegri believes there will still be plenty of points up for grabs in the remainder of the season, regardless of who comes out on top on Saturday.

“Tomorrow’s match is a beautiful match to play in this moment of the championship,” Allegri said.

“AC Milan is leading the ranking up to the beginning of tomorrow’s match and I do also believe … that this match is more decisive for them than for us, since after tomorrow’s match there are still seven matches to be played and 21 points to be gained. Therefore, there are many chances to change the result of the championship.”

“Napoli and Udinese are also near us and near Inter Milan.”

Inter come into the game on the back of five wins and one draw in their last six league outings.

Milan have drawn one and lost one from their last two, but Allegri remains unconcerned about the part form may play.

“As far as the predictions are concerned, I’ve heard many things: somebody says the other team will be winning since we’ve gained only one point in two matches,” Allegri said.

“But we also have to say that the beauty of football is that things can change unexpectedly. We know that it’s impossible to win the championship when there is still a month to the end of the season.”

Mindful of the threat the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o pose for Inter, Allegri will be sending out his team charged with shutting down the opposition.

“We should be clever and compact since Inter Milan has a great potential, especially in the offensive department,” he said.

“We’re skilled as well and therefore we should play … from the technical point of view, without conceding too many spaces.”

Sat 2 April, 2011

Allegri: Title won´t be won in derby

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri insists Saturday’s derby against Inter Milan may not prove decisive in the Serie A title race.

Milan top the table by two points from defending champions Inter heading into the showdown at the San Siro.

The match has been billed by some as a potential playoff for the Scudetto. But Allegri believes there will still be plenty of points up for grabs in the remainder of the season, regardless of who comes out on top on Saturday.

“Tomorrow’s match is a beautiful match to play in this moment of the championship,” Allegri said.

“AC Milan is leading the ranking up to the beginning of tomorrow’s match and I do also believe … that this match is more decisive for them than for us, since after tomorrow’s match there are still seven matches to be played and 21 points to be gained. Therefore, there are many chances to change the result of the championship.”

“Napoli and Udinese are also near us and near Inter Milan.”

Inter come into the game on the back of five wins and one draw in their last six league outings.

Milan have drawn one and lost one from their last two, but Allegri remains unconcerned about the part form may play.

“As far as the predictions are concerned, I’ve heard many things: somebody says the other team will be winning since we’ve gained only one point in two matches,” Allegri said.

“But we also have to say that the beauty of football is that things can change unexpectedly. We know that it’s impossible to win the championship when there is still a month to the end of the season.”

Mindful of the threat the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o pose for Inter, Allegri will be sending out his team charged with shutting down the opposition.

“We should be clever and compact since Inter Milan has a great potential, especially in the offensive department,” he said.

“We’re skilled as well and therefore we should play … from the technical point of view, without conceding too many spaces.”

Sat 2 April, 2011

Mourinho: Reverence for Spurs won´t hold Real back

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has great respect for Tottenham but predicts they will not get past the Champions League quarter-finals.

Spurs and Real have been drawn together in one of the most exciting last-eight ties, with Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham side already proving capable of toppling European giants Inter Milan and AC Milan.But Mourinho, who admitted he was thrilled not be drawn against former clubs Inter and Chelsea in the quarter-finals, has warned Spurs their European campaign is about to come to an end.Asked if Tottenham could go all the way in Europe, Mourinho told the BBC: “It’s possible. They have a not very easy draw, but they have not had an easy draw from the beginning.”"But I want to believe, with all respect of course, that their campaign in the Champions League will finish in the second leg at White Hart Lane,” he said.”They have reason to be proud already, and I think they have a reason to fight us and to try to reach the semis, but I believe that we are a better team.”But the Portuguese manager concedes the Premier League outfit will be no pushovers given their European form of late.”Any team is difficult and any team is a motivation for us,” Mourinho said.”Tottenham are a good team – they beat Inter, they beat Milan, they have ambitions, and they have a very good team and a good manager in Harry (Redknapp).”"You can feel that it is a happy team, and happy teams are dangerous teams.”Real have been in dogged pursuit of La Liga rivals Barcelona ever since Mourinho’s arrival at the Bernabeu, and the tactician concedes he may have to wait until next season to achieve greatness with Los Blancos.”I keep thinking and saying that it is a very, very young team, so I think the second season will be the great season for this Real Madrid team,” he said.”But when you arrive in April and you are in three competitions and everything is open you cannot say: ‘I’m not ready for it, I don’t want it, I don’t try it’.”"The team is coming up, some boys are adapting, people like (Mesut) Ozil, (Angel) Di Maria, arriving for the first team in Spanish football, they are much more comfortable at this moment.”"It looks like we are arriving strong in the last moment of the season when every match is a final, every defeat kills your chances and every victory feeds your ambition.”Tottenham visit the Bernabeu in a fortnight, with Real making the trip to White Hart Lane for the second leg on April 13.

Wed 23 March, 2011

Redknapp won´t splash for transfers

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has predicted the January transfer window will be a quiet one at White Hart Lane.

Spurs have been linked to a number of transfer targets in the mid-season window, including West Ham United captain Scott Parker and Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll.

But with few injuries to his playing squad Redknapp is confident Tottenham have the talent to launch an assault on the top four in the latter half of the season without the need to add any new faces.

“We’re not in the desperate situation of having to add many players at the moment,” Redknapp told the Daily Mirror.

“I’ve always said if someone special comes along who could make the difference, you’d be interested. We took (Rafael) van der Vaart in the last window; he’s come in and done great. Other than that we’re not too desperate to add to the squad.”

“There are perhaps one or two players who aren’t playing who would like to move on, they want to play, they don’t want to be sitting around every week not playing football.”

“We’ll have to wait and see if we get any offers for anybody and take it from there.”

One of the players Redknapp expects to depart White Hart Lane is midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who has fallen down the pecking order since being sidelined with a back injury.

“Jamie needs to play, he’s had a back injury and he’s just coming back which is great news for him, he’s a good lad and great player,” Redknapp said.

“He’s missed half a year, half the season and hopefully in a week or two he’ll be ready to play again.”

“He’d be better off going somewhere and playing for the rest of the season rather than sitting around.”

“We’ve got a lot of competition here so I think he’d be better off going and playing for someone, he’d do a great job for somebody in the Premier League.”

Mon 20 December, 2010

Redknapp won´t splash for transfers

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has predicted the January transfer window will be a quiet one at White Hart Lane.

Spurs have been linked to a number of transfer targets in the mid-season window, including West Ham United captain Scott Parker and Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll.

But with few injuries to his playing squad Redknapp is confident Tottenham have the talent to launch an assault on the top four in the latter half of the season without the need to add any new faces.

“We’re not in the desperate situation of having to add many players at the moment,” Redknapp told the Daily Mirror.

“I’ve always said if someone special comes along who could make the difference, you’d be interested. We took (Rafael) van der Vaart in the last window; he’s come in and done great. Other than that we’re not too desperate to add to the squad.”

“There are perhaps one or two players who aren’t playing who would like to move on, they want to play, they don’t want to be sitting around every week not playing football.”

“We’ll have to wait and see if we get any offers for anybody and take it from there.”

One of the players Redknapp expects to depart White Hart Lane is midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who has fallen down the pecking order since being sidelined with a back injury.

“Jamie needs to play, he’s had a back injury and he’s just coming back which is great news for him, he’s a good lad and great player,” Redknapp said.

“He’s missed half a year, half the season and hopefully in a week or two he’ll be ready to play again.”

“He’d be better off going somewhere and playing for the rest of the season rather than sitting around.”

“We’ve got a lot of competition here so I think he’d be better off going and playing for someone, he’d do a great job for somebody in the Premier League.”

Mon 20 December, 2010